That is the mantra of the Charlotte Bobcats franchise this season, and the tone was reflected strongly by its superstar owner, Michael Jordan, on Thursday afternoon over and over again as he discussed last year’s collapse and this year's rebirth.

“We hit rock bottom,” said Jordan at the beginning of a 20-minute interview on his team’s prospects at Time Warner Cable Arena in downtown Charlotte. “Obviously we went through a restructuring from a coaching staff standpoint and the acquisition of some young talent, (and) we went out and got some veteran leadership.

“Are we a playoff team? Come on, we can’t expect that,” he continued. “But we need to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I’m not real happy about the record-book scenario last year; very, very frustrating. ... It moved me from where my seats were all the way up to the suites because I was so frustrated and angry.”

That was quite evident last year as the Bobcats suffered through a 7-59 record that included a 23-game losing streak to end the season.

On Thursday, Jordan—dressed neatly in a white shirt, cufflinks and black pants—did not allow himself one smile as he discussed what he says will be a turnaround year for his team.

“I feel confident that we’re heading in the right direction with our young talent and our coach,” he said.

With the hiring of former St. John’s assistant Mike Dunlap as his head coach, MJ has put in charge a man who is taking this team all the way back to the basics, running the players through practices that last upwards of three hours and longer, in some cases.

And Jordan is more than hopeful that Dunlap’s back-to-basics mentality brings dividends this season.

“I could play for Coach Dunlap,” said Jordan. “That means at this stage and what I saw in the practices, I think, what he was going through, is exactly what we went through (with the Chicago Bulls). And for years, those steps have been skipped. And with that comes, you know, the product not being able to produce and withstand certain type of play. ... This is a period now where those little things matter to a team like us. Simple plays; less turnovers; taking care of the basketball; being able to share."

With a team built around Kidd-Gilchrist, Henderson, Walker, Mullens and Sessions, Jordan and Dunlap have their work cut out.

“We don’t have a star, we don’t have a star that can carry the team,” acknowledged Jordan, “so you’ve got to learn how to play together. That is what I love about Coach D. He’s going to get back to the basics: good passes, pivots, boxing out, running a certain way, taking care of the ball, taking good shots, all the things that were lost. And we’ve been a product of that.

“Hopefully if he does those things, and players start to buy in—well, they’re going to have to buy in or not be here, because that’s important to what he’s actually trying to do to build our organization.

“I want to establish a culture within this organization so that when you plug guys in, the culture is sitting there and no one guy is bigger than that culture. You fit in or you don’t fit in.

“When you look at organizations that are successful, they have an established culture. San Antonio is a great example.”

Have the players responded to Dunlap?

“I’ve seen both sides of it,” answered Jordan. “I’ve seen some acceptance and I’ve seen some resistance of it. And that’s expected. Because when you ask people to do something and they’re not accustomed to doing what you think is needed, sometimes you get some resistance. And when I did see it, I stepped in and I supported what the coach was actually trying to do. And the next day I saw none. I saw compliance. I saw an acceptance. I saw an effort to buy in, and I think that’s just going to get stronger and stronger.

“If we do the things that we expect—play hard; play as a team; stay connected; don’t get disconnected—we’re going to win our share of games.

“Are we going to be where we need to be? No. But it’s a great building block.”

After suffering through that seven-win season, Jordan expects improvement but would not specify that in terms of wins. And added that he did not hang a number of wins in Dunlap’s locker.

“I didn’t put a number, but I did tell Coach, ‘This is what I need to see, this is where you can be successful: the way they play on November 1st, they should be better come February 1st. They shouldn’t be making the same mistake; you should see an improvement from a fundamental standpoint. The effort should be there from Day 1. The dedication should be there from Day 1.

“Obviously because of the inexperience of our young talent, they’re going to make mistakes, but come February and they’re making the same mistakes, evidently you’re not resonating with these kids.’

“So that to me is a success. I can’t put that in numbers because if they do get it, we may be surprised with those numbers. But I think, ultimately, my biggest passion is to see them understand how to play the game of basketball, a certain energy level, a certain passion each and every night. Because that is what we are going to be asking these fans to look at, the entertainment aspect, the dedication, the effort they give every single night. That is what they’re paying to see. They understand where we are from a talent standpoint, but if they pay the dollar, they want to see the effort out there representing them and eventually if they do that, the wins are going to come, they’re going to come eventually.

“But if you’re going to get out there and you’re going to pussyfoot around, you’re not going to put forth the effort, then I feel like I’m cheating my partner, which is the fans.

“That’s the thing I can get from Coach Dunlap. He’s going to get the effort, he’s going to get the dedication from these players.”

Yes, Michael Jordan has put a great deal of confidence in Dunlap. But only time will tell if his latest hire turns out to be the antidote for his Charlotte Bobcats.